A 100-year-old dry stone wall was damaged by teenagers who lit a bonfire in a wooded area near Delph Reservoir on Sunday evening.

A 17m stretch of the wall was destroyed by the group who used the stones to create a make-shift bench.

One stone was even vandalised with the name 'Kirk' written on it.

Nearby resident Ivan Hamnett saw the group of around ten people entering the woods off Dimple Road at around 9pm on May 31.

They lit a small bonfire near the wall and also damaged a gate, using it for more seating.

Fortunately the fire was extinguished by fire crews before it could spread.

Mr Hamnett said: "It was about 9pm and I saw all these kids heading into the woods. I thought that they were up to no good.

"I headed down to where they were and they had started a campfire, I rang the fire brigade, I think the kids probably saw me because they all ran away.

"The dry stone wall has been there since the reservoir was built around 100 years ago. They'd knocked it down and had built a bench out of it.

"It's criminal damage. I don't think it will ever get put back together, and if so it would cost hundreds of pounds.

"The fire brigade asked me to share the images on social media in the hope that parents would speak to their children about these incidents.

"It could have been really dangerous, if that area of wood was set on fire, it would have reached all the way to the moors. The wind was blowing in the direction of Darwen.

"It's really terrible, there are cows in the field nearby and ground nesting birds in the area.

"I've noticed so many more people up here recently.They should establish a curfew for kids to stop them doing things like this."

Another local resident, who wishes not to be named, also shared similar concerns.

They said:"It's a place I walk through regularly and I think it's disgusting that kids these days are disrespectful to their beautiful surroundings and the fact they've given no thoughts to the emergency services at such an important time as now with other local fires going on."

Lancashire Fire and Rescue have confirmed that they attended an incident at Delph Reservoir on Sunday evening.